Putting your baby up for adoption in West Virginia? If so, you’re choosing a brave way to give your child the life they deserve.

But, that doesn’t mean that the decision to place your child for adoption is an easy one. 

Mothers who give up their babies for adoption are strong and compassionate, and they choose adoption to provide the best life for their child. If you’re considering putting baby up for adoption in West Virginia, you may have questions about the process like:

• What resources are available to mothers facing unplanned pregnancy?
• How do I give up a baby for adoption in West Virginia?
• Can my birth expenses be paid by adoptive parents?
• How do I create a birth plan?

The answers to these questions (and others) may only be a phone call or email away. An adoption professional with your adoption agency in West Virginia can help you move forward if you think adoption may be right for you. Learn more about how to give a baby up for adoption in West Virginia by reading on.

How to Put a Baby Up for Adoption in West Virginia [The 5 Step Process]

Every woman’s circumstances are unique, but every birth mother giving baby up for adoption in West Virginia will have a few experiences in common.

Finding an adoption agency is an important first step, because that’s where you’ll find resources and counseling. Your agency will be by your side through the entire process. They’ll help you decide whether giving a baby up for adoption is best for you, and you’ll get help from your agency in planning your adoption journey if the adoption option is right for you.

Read on to learn how to go about giving your baby up for adoption in West Virginia.

Step 1: Decide if Adoption is Right for You

We understand that an unexpected pregnancy can be disruptive. You may initially feel totally overwhelmed, but don’t panic. You have options when facing an unplanned pregnancy. Placing baby up for adoption in West Virginia is one of them, but only you can determine if it’s the best one for you.

When thinking about whether placing your baby for adoption is the right choice for you, it’s good to know your options first. They are:

• Parenting
• Adoption
• Abortion

You should know the choice will always be yours. It’s totally up to you because you’re the only person who knows what’s best for you and your child.

Expectant women choose to put their child up for adoption for a variety of reasons. No matter what your personal reasons may be, there are clear benefits. By putting your baby up for adoption in West Virginia, you’ll be giving your child a stable, loving home. You’ll also help make a waiting family’s dream of adoption come true.

Adoption can be advantageous for everyone involved, and it could be the best option for your life.

Step 2: Develop an Adoption Plan

You may find empowerment in putting a baby up for adoption because you’ll be in control of the outcome. You’ll create your own adoption plan, and that will shape your experience. In West Virginia, adoption laws related to placing baby up for adoption will make sure your rights are protected. 

If you’ve not fully researched the adoption process, you may be wondering, “What’s an adoption plan, and how do I make one?”

Your adoption plan serves as your customized strategy for placing your baby for adoption in West Virginia. It includes your wishes for the adoption experience, and it plots every step in your adoption journey.

Your adoption professional will help you create your plan, though the important decisions will be yours to make. Your adoption professional will walk you through how to put your baby up for adoption in West Virginia, explain your rights as the birth mother, and help you understand how other factors may impact the process.

Your adoption professional will begin by asking you things like:

• What kind of family do you want for your child?
• What degree of contact do you want with the adoptive family?
• How much contact will you want with your child?
• What are your expectations for the birth and hospital stay?
• And many more

As you answer these questions, the foundation of your adoption plan will take shape. The adoption plan will be your guide to your journey when putting your baby up for adoption. But remember, you remain in charge when giving baby up for adoption. You can change your mind at any point, and you can change adoptive parents whenever you like.

The following agencies can help you develop an adoption plan:

• American Adoptions
• Bethany Christian Services
• Burlington United Methodist Family Services
• KVC West Virginia

Step 3: Find the Right Adoptive Family

When giving your baby up for adoption, you’re doing it out of love. You’re placing your child with an adoptive family because you want your baby to enjoy a bright future. The next step in the adoption process is finding the perfect adoptive family.

Your adoption agency will be a tremendous resource when putting your baby up for adoption. The role your agency plays in aiding your search for the perfect adoptive family is a significant one.

• Your agency will offer you guidance as well as helpful resources as you search for the right adoptive family.
• Your adoption professional will use your adoption plan as a guide while looking through their adoptive family database for possible matches.
• If hopeful families that match your criteria are found, your professional will send you those adoptive family profiles.

Once you find the perfect family, you can get to know them and confirm they’re the right family for your child. If things go well, you can remain in contact with the adoptive family throughout your pregnancy, and you can stay in touch after your baby is born if you’ve selected open or semi-open adoption.

If you choose open or semi-open adoption, giving baby up for adoption in West Virginia means you may gain an extended family through the adoptive parents. The unique relationship between you and the adoptive parents stems from your shared love for your child, which is a beautiful thing.

Step 4: Create Your Birth Plan 

Another important part of your experience when you’re placing your baby for adoption is creating a detailed birth plan. The birth plan helps make sense of what could be a stressful, emotional part of your adoption journey. Having a well-conceived birth plan in place will give you peace and protect your rights as a birth mother.

Your hospital plan should include details about your wishes in many areas, such as:

• Which hospital will be used?
• Who will be allowed in the delivery room?
• Who will hold the baby first?
• How much time will you spend with the baby and adoptive family, if any?
• Whether pictures will be taken with you, the child and the adoptive parents?
• When will consent be given and documents be signed?
• When and how will you leave the hospital?
• And many more

When placing your baby for adoption, your birth plan is critical because it communicates your expectations for the hospital experience to everyone involved. As with the adoption plan, your adoption agency will help you create your birth plan by giving you counsel and resources that will help make sure your hospital stay runs smoothly.

When putting your baby up for adoption in West Virginia, the law states that consent for adoption can only be provided no sooner than 72 hours after the birth of the child. Consent or relinquishment executed by a parent or guardian must be signed and acknowledged in the presence of one of the following:

• A judge of a court of record
• A person whom a judge of a court of record designates to take consents or relinquishments
• A notary public
• A commissioned officer on active duty in the military of the United States if the person executing the consent or relinquishment is in military service
• An officer of the Foreign Service or a consular officer of the United States in another country if the person executing the consent or relinquishment is in that country The consent must meet the following criteria to be considered binding:

Make sure to account for these legal requirements when creating a hospital plan. Consult with your adoption professional or attorney to learn more about the consent to adoption requirements in West Virginia.

Step 5: Life After Placement

You may think that once your baby is living in their adoptive home, your bond with your child is gone. However, placing your baby for adoption doesn’t necessarily mark the end of your relationship with your kid.

Through open adoption, you can have continuing contact with your child and adoptive family. You get to choose the kind of contact you’ll have with your child, as well as how much. Communication can include letters, photos, emails, and even videos. You decide the amount of contact you’ll have with the child and adoptive parents.

You may only want updates about your child’s progress after placement with no direct contact after giving up a baby for adoption in West Virginia. In semi-open adoptions, an adoption professional can mediate contact between the parties.

If that sounds appealing, discuss semi-open adoption with your adoption professional.

Giving Up a Baby Is Not Actually “Giving Up”

Have you ever heard someone say, “giving your baby up for adoption?”

If so, you should know it’s not an accurate way to describe the act of placing your child up for adoption. In fact, you’re not “giving up” at all by choosing adoption. Giving up your baby gives you a choice that benefits everyone if you’re facing unplanned pregnancy, especially your child.

Deciding to “give up your child” for adoption really means giving them the gift of a stable home and a future full of opportunity. By placing baby for adoption in West Virginia, you’ll know your child will grow up with a pre-screened family that will love them. You’ll know the family will give your child stability, a bright future, and a high quality of life.

If you choose open or semi-open adoption, putting your baby up for adoption in West Virginia gives you a way to remain in your child’s life. What’s open adoption? It’s a post-placement contact arrangement that lets birth parents watch their child grow through continuing contact with the adoptive parents and adoptee.

When you put adoption in the proper context, it’s easy to see how “giving your baby up” for adoption isn’t “giving up” at all. It’s a brave move made in the interest of your child’s future, and there’s no surrender involved. 

Next Steps

Giving up a baby for adoption in West Virginia is in no way “giving up.” When you choose adoption, you’re really choosing a brighter future for your baby, and the opportunity for your child to grow into the person they’re meant to be.

If you’ve thought about placing your baby for adoption in West Virginia, you can find helpful information at this link today. Ask to speak to a compassionate adoption professional who can help you learn more about how to put up a baby for adoption in West Virginia.